


Lost and Found

by monochromekiss



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Humor, High School, Levi's Birthday (Shingeki no Kyojin), M/M, Marriage Proposal, two year age difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monochromekiss/pseuds/monochromekiss
Summary: Christmas is a time of magic and wonder. Eren adores Christmas almost as much as he loves Levi. There is only one problem: what do you get for the man that means the world to you?Eren is struggling to think of the perfect gift when a memory from the past brings inspiration. Will it be something Levi will truly love? And does Levi have something even more special in mind?
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	Lost and Found

Christmas was a time that most people would look forward to, but for Eren Jeager it truly was the most important time of the year. It wasn’t just about the usual festivities like decorating the tree or meeting up with family for a large turkey dinner. The 25th December just so happened to be the birthday of the love of Eren’s life. It was also their anniversary...Well their _unofficial_ anniversary as Eren liked to call it. 

It had been the last day before Christmas break that Eren and Levi had first shared a kiss, when they both were still young teens. It didn’t matter they had temporarily parted ways after high school and it had taken them a good few years to finally admit they couldn’t live without each other. The moment still felt incredibly significant to Eren, and he had fallen in love with the Christmas period more than most people ever since. 

That week had started with nothing out of the unusual, save for the excessive amounts of tinsel hanging up around the school. As soon as the bell for lunch rang Eren was quick to gather up his things and rush out of the classroom, weaving in between the groups of students idly chatting in the corridor. He headed straight for the library to look for Levi, briskly walking past rows of books until he reached a secluded corner at the very back, far away from anyone else. 

After finding out this was where Levi liked to spend his time, this had become a bit of a ritual for them both. Levi preferred to be alone and away from any crowds so he could read in peace, whereas Eren simply wanted an excuse to be close to him. Sometimes Erwin or Hange would be there too, but Eren always secretly hoped to find Levi on his own. 

As Eren rounded the corner he found Levi in his usual spot, sat on the floor with his back leaning against the wall, tucked away between the gap where two bookcases almost met. Eren couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief when there was no sign of anyone else with him. 

“You got here quick today.” Levi greeted casually, barely looking up from the tattered book resting in his lap. 

“Yeah...I kinda ran all the way here.” Eren admitted with a sheepish grin before sitting down beside him. He tucked himself into the small space between Levi and one of the bookcases, their arms touching and barely an inch between them. If Levi had ever found this excessive closeness annoying he never mentioned it, and Levi was usually very blunt about what irked him. “So...No Erwin or Hange today?” 

“Erwin’s in some student council meeting. Hange’s in detention for something. All I got was ‘I’ll explain later.’” Levi replied, already flicking to the very front of the book so the two of them could start reading together. 

Eren tilted his head to the side, finally taking a good look at the novel in Levi’s hands. It was a very worn copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the inside pages yellowing with slight creases in the book’s spine. The front cover was mostly intact except a few blemishes, a ghostly pale hand with pointed fingernails peeking out of a dark coffin with red velvet interior. Above the spooky image was the book’s title, written in dark red lettering. 

Levi turned to the first page and the two of them started reading, the time passing by in comfortable silence. Every now and then Levi would glance up at the brunette, and Eren would simply nod when he was ready for him to continue onto the next page. At some point during this Levi’s head ended up resting on the brunette’s shoulder. Eren immediately felt the heat rushing to his cheeks but stayed silent, not wanting to ruin the peaceful moment. 

Despite how much time they spent together like this, Eren had never once said how he felt out loud. The two of them would sit like this on an almost daily basis, usually reading a book Levi had with him. Sometimes they would simply listen to music together and talk about nothing in particular, but never about _that._

But it was the very last day before Christmas break. Eren wondered if perhaps this time he should say something. Would Levi feel the same way? Would it ruin their friendship? Eren honestly wasn’t sure how to interpret Levi’s behaviour. The shorter male seemed to enjoy his company and allowed him to get closer than anyone else, but he had still never confirmed his feelings either way. 

Eren didn’t have much time to dwell on this before the bell rang again. An hour always did feel like barely five minutes when he was with Levi. He stayed exactly where he was in the hopes of dragging things out for as long as possible, but soon Levi was making a move to stand up.

“Umm...What are your plans for Christmas?” Eren blurted out without thinking.

“I don’t know...Probably nothing.” Levi shrugged as he stood up.

Eren quickly scrambled to his feet as well, desperately willing himself to think of something to prolong the conversation. “Oh, well...I thought maybe you know...Because it’s your birthday as well…” 

A pained expression crossed Levi’s face for a brief moment before he managed to look impassive again. “It’s just me and my uncle. We don’t usually do anything.”

“I’m sorry…” Eren murmured, although what he was apologising for he wasn’t sure. 

“It’s fine.” Levi shrugged again, turning the small paperback book over in his hands again before placing it back in his school bag. “An old second hand book is about all I’m ever going to get from him. I probably won’t even get anything this year. But he actually bought me something _once,_ so I’ll take that.” 

The two of them started walking to their final class in silence, Eren now regretting his earlier question. As much as Levi insisted he was fine, it was clear he wasn’t and Eren hated the idea of him being alone at Christmas when everyone else would be celebrating. If there was something the brunette could do to change that, it seemed like a risk worth taking. With this thought in mind, Eren decided to blurt out the first idea that came into his head. “You could spend Christmas with me?” 

Levi immediately stopped walking, turning around to give Eren an incredulous look. “What?” He asked, unsure if he had heard him right.  
  
“Uh, you could spend Christmas with me? I mean...Not just _me_ obviously. But my mom loves having a huge get together. Mikasa will be there, and Armin and his grandfather always come. She honestly wouldn’t mind, I think she’d love to meet you. You know, I’ve mentioned you a lot so it’s not like it would be a big surprise.” Eren rambled nervously. When he dared to look up, Levi looked even more bewildered than before. 

The silence between them was eventually broken by a quiet chuckle. A faint smile crossed Levi’s lips, and Eren was sure this was the first time he had seen him look genuinely happy. “Yeah...I’ll think about it.” He replied, taking a small step towards the taller boy. With one hand he reached upwards, gently ruffling Eren’s hair. “Thank you, Eren.” 

“You’re welcome?” Eren practically squeaked before the two of them had to part ways. And just like that, the moment between them was over. But as Eren headed towards his own classroom he knew having a productive lesson was going to be impossible. 

* * *

  
  


An hour later and just as Eren had predicted, the entire lesson had passed by in a blur. Not a single word his teacher had said had sunk in, and there was a blank page staring back at him where notes should have been. The only thing he had managed to achieve was more fantasizing about Levi, playing out various different scenarios in his head where he confessed his feelings. Sometimes he was accepted and the two embraced, sometimes he was shot down in flames. And Eren still wasn’t sure which of those two outcomes was the most likely.

Eren was the first to jump out of his seat as soon as the lesson ended, but unlike everyone else he had no intentions of heading home. Not yet at least. Instead he headed back towards the humanities building where Levi would still be in English Lit. 

The plan was simple: meet Levi outside his classroom, walk home together and on the way fully convince the older boy to spend Christmas at the Jeager household. If Eren could do that at least, then surely he stood a better chance of their friendship leading towards something else. 

The brunette only stopped running when he finally reached Levi’s classroom, gradually slowing to a stop when he saw the ravenette in the distance. He felt a slight pang of disappointment when he also spotted Erwin leaning against the wall, Levi stood with a few inches between them with his arms folded across his chest and nodding along to whatever the blonde was saying. 

It wasn’t unusual to see Erwin and Levi in deep conversation together, but as Eren got closer something seemed off. The usual stoic expression Levi always wore was replaced with a deep frown, and he only seemed to get more agitated as the conversation went on. As Eren approached Levi dismissively waved his hand at whatever the blonde was suggesting.  
  
“Leave it, Eyebrows. Don’t waste your time.”

“If it’s important to you then-”  
  
“I’ll live.” Levi cut him off abruptly. 

Eren glanced between the two of them with a dazed look, unsure what kind of argument he had just interrupted, if this even was an argument. Noticing Eren’s confusion, Erwin let out a sigh and took it upon himself to explain. “Levi’s lost something. A book apparently.” 

“ _That_ book?” Eren asked with wide eyes, and the grimace that crossed Levi’s face was a clear enough confirmation. “The one your uncle-”  
  
“It’s fine, brat.” Levi sighed. He made a move to walk past him, expecting the brunette to follow along like he always did.  
  
“I’ll find it.” Eren declared with a look of fierce determination. “Wait here.” 

“Wait here?” Levi repeated with a raised eyebrow, glancing around at the busy corridor around them. “You can’t be serious.” 

“Well, maybe not here but…Wait outside the school gates. I’ll find it, I promise!” Eren huffed, refusing to back down. He ignored the skeptical look the shorter male was giving him, grabbing both of Levi’s hands in his. “I know it’s important to you, so I’m going to get it back.” 

“Eren, you don’t have to-” Levi didn’t get any further in his protests before Eren was running off in the opposite direction, completely oblivious to the amused glances everyone else was giving them. 

The most obvious place to look was the library, so Eren headed there first. He hoped that perhaps the book had slid out of Levi’s bag without them noticing, but there was no sign of it anywhere as he retraced their steps. A thorough search around their special spot yielded no results either. It wasn’t on the floor where they had sat together, and it didn’t seem to have been placed on any of the nearby shelves by mistake. A brief exchange with the librarian confirmed that no one had handed it in either. 

But Eren wasn’t giving up so easily. His next thought was maybe someone had handed it in at the office so he ran there next. A quick conversation with the receptionist and a careful look through the lost property box later, and still no results. 

Eren knew this would be the point where most people would give up, but there was something about the pained look in Levi’s eyes that made him want to keep going. Even if he hadn’t found the book in the most obvious place, it still had to be around the school somewhere. Objects didn’t just vanish into thin air. If Levi hadn’t dropped it, maybe someone had stolen it from his bag and decided to dump it somewhere. That left a whole lot of possibilities, but Eren was still going to search every last one of them. 

The brunette rushed around the school searching through every conceivable place he could think of, barely stopping for breath. He checked every classroom he knew Levi had classes in, every cubicle of the boys toilets, the changing rooms, the sports fields, and yet everywhere brought the same disappointment. 

By the time he started searching the storage room at the back of the gym, he was exhausted and worn out. There was still nothing on the lower shelves, but it occurred to him someone might have tossed it up on one of the higher ones. A few of the seniors had done it to Armin once as a prank, laughing as the poor blonde struggled and failed to climb up to get his schoolbag back. With this thought in mind Eren climbed on a nearby stack of gym mats and tried to push himself upwards to take a closer look. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” A familiar voice asked him, causing Eren to let out a yelp of surprise and lose his footing. He ungraciously tumbled to the floor with a thud, bringing down a sack of basketballs and a few tennis rackets from the shelf above with him. When he looked up Levi was standing over him with a bemused expression. 

“Uh...Looking for your book?” Eren asked, realising just how stupid that sounded when he said it out loud. 

“And why the hell would it be here?” Levi asked as he offered his hand out to the brunette. 

Eren took his hand and scrambled to his feet, staring down at the floor in an effort to hide the blush covering his cheeks. “I thought maybe someone might have put it here. Like those bullies did to Armin once.” 

“I remember.” Levi sighed softly. He didn’t need to ask whether Eren had found it or not; it was already clear from the depressed and crestfallen look the younger boy was giving him. With a roll of his eyes, Levi bent down to start tidying away the various gym equipment still littering the floor. “Nevermind, brat. I’ll help you tidy up then we can go home.” 

“Home? But I can still keep looking! If we search for it together-”  
  
“Eren.” Levi interjected harshly, staring directly into the brunette’s eyes with an almost warning glare. “Leave it. Do you even know how much time you’ve wasted doing this? I want to go home, and so should you.” 

Eren gazed back at Levi with a puzzled expression. It couldn’t have been that long, could it? Although now that he thought about it, during his search he had not once bothered to check the time. He looked down at his watch, his eyes widening in realisation. Somehow he had wasted over half an hour running around aimlessly. “Oh…” He gasped, biting his bottom lip in frustration. 

“Why is this even so important to you?” Levi sighed in frustration.

“Because it’s important to _you.”_ Eren whined, picking up the sack of basketballs from the floor and flinging them back on to the shelf in anger. “I know it sounds stupid but… Well it isn’t stupid! It mattered to you. You said it’s one of the only nice things your uncle has done for you, and I know you have no other family so…I saw the hurt in your eyes before. So I wanted to do something.” 

As soon as those words had left Eren’s lips he immediately regretted it, that same pained expression crossing Levi’s face again. An awkward silence fell over them, and Eren felt like he had crossed some sort of line. It was rare to see Levi show any emotion, yet this time the pained look in his eyes remained. 

“I’m fine, brat.” Levi replied before bending down and picking up Eren’s school bag, placing it over the brunette’s shoulder. He then turned around and headed out the door, assuming Eren would follow after him. There wasn’t much else he could do in this situation, he couldn’t stay at the school all night. 

Eren didn’t plan what happened next, he simply acted on instinct. Without even thinking about what he was doing Eren reached out and grabbed Levi by the arm, harshly spinning the shorter male around to face him. “I don’t want you to be fine! I want you to be happy!” Eren shouted, surprising even himself at how emotional he sounded. 

As he placed both hands on Levi’s shoulders, Eren took a deep breath to steady himself. “I want you to be happy...I really like you Levi. I want to give you everything.” The seconds seemed to painfully tick by as Levi failed to say anything in return, not that Eren could blame him for being stunned into silence. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his own shoulder, gripping it tightly. 

“I _am_ happy. At least when I’m with you.” Levi told him firmly. 

As the heat started to rush to Eren’s cheeks he felt forced to look away, anywhere but Levi’s amused smile right now. His eyes wandered upwards, only just now noticing the small green plant hanging above their heads. “Mistletoe…” Eren murmured without thinking, causing Levi to look up as well. “Uh...Not that I was hinting anything! Sorry, if that would be weird then-” 

Eren didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before Levi was firmly pressing his lips against his, silencing him in a kiss. He couldn't believe it. It had to be a dream. Levi was _kissing_ him. It took him a moment to respond, his body was on fire and he knew his face was flush. Slowly he brought his arms down to wrap around Levi’s waist. Eren never wanted to let him go, he wanted this moment to last forever. As first kisses go Eren knew this was by far the best and he knew that it was because it was with Levi.

“I’ll come and spend Christmas with you.” Levi whispered softly as he broke the kiss, his lips still only a few inches away from Eren’s. He leaned forward again, placing a gentle kiss to Eren’s cheek that had the younger boy’s heart racing. 

“Then...Are we dating now?” Eren asked curiously. 

“Do you want us to be?” Levi asked with an amused smile, unable to hold back a chuckle when Eren frantically nodded in response. “Heh...Right answer.” 

As the two of them finally broke apart, Eren took Levi’s hand in his and laced their fingers together. The affectionate gesture felt incredibly natural, like this was how they had always meant to be. 

Levi really did spend Christmas with Eren’s family that year, relentlessly teasing him over how their first kiss had happened for the entire break. Eren had loved every minute of it.

* * *

Years later Eren and Levi were still happily together, and Eren would often think back on that first kiss between them. But it hadn’t always been smooth sailing for the two of them. When Levi had graduated from high school it had left Eren heartbroken, even though he knew them drifting apart was inevitable. The two tried to stay in touch as the years passed, but just as friends. 

Eren knew that this was just a natural part of life, that not everyone from high school would stay together forever. Mikasa and Armin were more like siblings, so he knew they would always be there. But as scary as it was, for a while Eren started to resign himself to the fact Levi wouldn’t always be a part of his life. It was terrifying and depressing, but it felt like it was going to happen eventually. 

Despite this, even as Eren graduated himself and started university he still missed Levi and would waste hours wondering what the shorter male was doing. What should have been the best years of his life were filled with restless nights asking himself if Levi even missed him in the same way. Maybe Levi had already outgrown him and just didn’t need Eren any more. A few text messages and the occasional phone call wasn’t exactly reassuring him otherwise. 

It was during another bleak day in late December, aged twenty one, when Eren finally broke down in tears during a call and confessed he hadn’t stopped thinking about Levi all this time. He couldn’t move on and find someone else, not when there was still even the slightest chance he could be with Levi again. As it turned out, Levi had been feeling the same way, but hadn’t wanted to hold Eren back from moving on. 

The two of them met up just a few days later, Levi travelling halfway across the country just to see his brat again. There seemed to be something about the Christmas period that kept pulling the two of them back together again. 

Now aged twenty eight, Eren didn’t have to pine over his missing boyfriend and worry about unrequited love. They were comfortably living together in the same house and were rarely seen apart. But this meant Eren was now faced with an entirely new problem: Levi was a ridiculously difficult person to buy presents for. 

Levi had always wanted to live life with no regrets, and so if he wanted something he would get it for himself. This meant there wasn’t much left behind for Eren to buy him in the way of gifts, and this year was even more important than usual. Levi would be turning thirty. With it being Christmas day, Levi’s thirtieth and their _sort of but not really_ anniversary, Eren didn’t want to just do nothing. 

Eren’s first thought had been a selection of luxury tea, but that idea was quickly disregarded when he opened their kitchen cupboards one day to find Levi had already stocked up with enough tea to last him half the year. A ceramic tea set maybe? But then Levi already had more tea sets than he was able to use on a regular basis. A new book? A quick look at their bookshelves told Eren that every novel Levi had shown an interest in recently was already there. Something simple like a sweater? Hange had already thought of that. Maybe some expensive wine? But Levi seldom drank alcohol. 

To make matters worse, Eren was already aware Levi had bought what was presumably the perfect gift for him. He had caught him one afternoon climbing on a chair to hide something at the top of their wardrobe. When asked about it Levi explained it was Eren’s gift, with one of the most smug smiles the brunette had ever seen. 

Soon all the time Eren thought he had to worry about this was gone, and there was only a few days left before Christmas Day. This was what had led to Eren now sitting in a coffee shop opposite his boyfriend, tapping his fingers against the festively decorated mug in front of him in frustration. Normally a date like this would be romantic and relaxing, but Eren was feeling depressed more than anything else. 

“Oi...Are you listening?” Levi sighed as he clicked his fingers in front of Eren’s face to grab his attention. 

“Uh, yeah, definitely…” Eren answered nervously. The truth was he hadn’t heard a single word Levi had said in the past ten minutes. 

“Still worrying about buying me the perfect gift?” Levi asked with an amused smile, causing Eren to almost choke on his drink. How on earth did his boyfriend always know? It was as if he could read Eren’s mind. 

“N-no! I sorted that ages ago?!” Eren squeaked.

“Really? You don’t sound so sure?” Levi replied with a small chuckle. He rolled his eyes when the only response he got back was a pout from his boyfriend. “Look...I really don’t care about presents. I just want to spend Christmas with you, so stop with that face.” 

“What face?” 

“ _That_ face. Like you’ve just sat down to take a shit and realised there’s no toilet paper.” Levi leaned over and playfully poked Eren’s cheek. 

Eren managed to force a smile, but didn’t feel reassured in any way. Even if Levi wasn’t bothered by this, he definitely was. He leaned back in his chair with a long sigh, glancing around at the other happy couples sitting around them. Had they all managed to find the perfect gift for their partner? They probably had. 

“Mistletoe.” Levi remarked seemingly out of nowhere. When Eren simply stared back in bewilderment he pointed over towards the doorway. “Over there. Did you really not notice?” 

Eren turned to look over at where Levi was gesturing, just as another couple entered the coffee shop. The young woman was the first to notice, looking up with a blush before quickly kissing the cheek of the man that was with her. 

“Reminds me of our first kiss. When you were too scared even with the mistletoe, so I had to do it for you.” Levi chuckled. 

Eren couldn’t help but smile fondly at that, his mind instantly taken back to that moment outside the gym. It was something he still thought about even after all these years. He would never forget the excitement he had felt kissing Levi for the first time, and that spark between them never had faded even now. Even if he hadn’t found Levi’s book, at least he had found a way to Levi’s heart. 

Suddenly Eren sat up with wide eyes, a plan forming in his mind. It was a crazy idea, unrealistic even, but if he somehow managed to pull it off it would be incredibly romantic. At least he thought so. A wide grin broke out across his face at the very prospect of what he planned to do.  
  
“The hell are you smiling like that for?” Levi asked, looking slightly unnerved. 

“Hmm? Like what?” Eren giggled, the same triumphant grin plastered across his face. 

“Like you just figured out the perfect place to bury the body.” Levi answered before rolling his eyes. His boyfriend was now fidgeting restlessly in his seat, and although Levi had no idea why he guessed Eren had figured out _something._ “Go on then...Bury the body.” 

“Ehh?” 

“Go do whatever you need to do.” Levi replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “In this case, find the perfect gift that you’ve been worrying about this whole time.” 

“It’ll be brilliant! I promise!” Eren gasped as he jumped up from his seat, leaning across the table and planting a firm kiss to Levi’s lips before rushing out the door. 

As he walked out on to the street he practically skipped along the sidewalk, weaving in and out of other shoppers. He couldn’t believe he was only just thinking of this; Levi had almost every book he could ever want but he didn’t have _that_ book. At least not any more. 

Of course Eren was never going to find that exact copy, not unless he somehow discovered time travel. But Eren could track down that same version with the same cover. He was lucky Levi had taken them to an area of town filled with second hand bookstores and various thrift shops. If he was to find it anywhere, it would be there. 

As it turned out, finding a copy of a novel as famous as Dracula was easy, Eren stumbling across it multiple times during his search. But the exact print of the novel Eren was thinking of? That still continued to elude him. 

A whole hour passed and he was starting to lose hope of ever finding it, though he was sure he must have found every other version of the book that could have possibly existed. Just how many times had that particular novel been republished with a different cover? He had lost count by this point. 

Eren was starting to lose hope as he knelt down on the floor of one of the thrift shops, impatiently flicking through various novels that had been left in a cardboard box on the floor. All of them were battered and worn with the pages yellowing, but good enough condition to still be enjoyed. None of them were the book he wanted though...Just one more shop and he was going home. He was tired of this. 

As he reached the back of the box Eren momentarily froze, one particular book catching his eye. The very top of a copy of Dracula was peeking out from behind another novel, the same gothic red font that Eren remembered from all those years ago. He took a deep breath and hesitantly picked it up, preparing himself for disappointment again. But instead he had to quickly stifle a yelp of joy. 

The book was almost identical to the copy Levi had brought to the library that time; the exact same ghostly hand clawing its way out of a coffin that Eren remembered so clearly. He turned the book over in his hands multiple times, half expecting this to just be his imagination fueled by wishful thinking. 

Eren jumped up from the floor with the novel clutched in his hand, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. It had taken him almost a whole month of aimlessly searching for gifts that weren’t quite right and a whole hour scouring every thrift shop in town, but he had finally found the perfect gift.

* * *

When Christmas Day arrived Eren was up early, leaving his boyfriend asleep in bed. He hurried downstairs and into the kitchen, carefully preparing a cup of tea for Levi just the way he liked it. He then headed to the sofa and made himself comfortable, patiently waiting for his boyfriend to join him. 

Now that the day had arrived, all the elation and confidence Eren had felt before had dissipated and he was starting to feel embarrassed by the whole thing. It had made sense in his head at the time. But would Levi even remember what book it was? 

Levi shuffled into the room a few minutes later, still blurry eyed with hair sticking up in awkward places. It didn’t matter how many times Eren had seen this before, he still found it incredibly adorable. 

“Morning…” Levi murmured as he flopped down beside his boyfriend, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“Good morning.” Eren greeted with a smile, running his fingers through Levi’s already ruffled hair. As eager as he was for Levi to open his present right that second, he forced himself to wait until the ravenette had drunk his tea at least. He knew Levi well enough to know he could barely function in the morning until he had his dose of caffeine. 

As Levi finished his tea Eren made his way over to the christmas tree, picking up the small parcel he had hidden under there just a couple of days ago. He placed it down on the coffee table in front of Levi, a faint blush covering his cheeks. “Umm...Happy birthday.” 

“Why are you suddenly so nervous?” Levi asked, picking up the small gift and running his fingers over the shiny red paper. He could already guess it was a book of some kind, though he was intrigued to know what made this one so special. 

“Just worrying you might not like it. I mean, it seemed like a good idea at the time but…” Eren trailed off, his cheeks turning a darker shade of pink with each passing second. “Yeah...Just open it and see.” 

Levi was quick to rip the wrapping paper away, the small red ribbon that had been tied around falling on to the table. As he turned the book over in his hands he froze, staring down at it without a word. 

Eren froze as well, holding his breath as he waited for some kind of response. As the awkward silence continued to drag on Eren started to panic. This had been a stupid idea. Levi probably didn’t even remember why this was meant to be so important. “Sorry...It was stupid but uh...It’s the-”  
  
“The book I lost on that day. I remember.” Levi interrupted. Without wasting a second longer Levi wrapped an arm around Eren’s shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug. He nuzzled into the brunette’s neck, letting out a content sigh. “How did you even find this?”  
  
“Just looked around every bookstore and thrift shop that exists.” Eren laughed, wrapping his arms around Levi’s waist in return. “I’m sorry I didn’t find it for you back then, but I thought I could do this now to make up for it.” 

“Idiot…” Levi chuckled, clinging to Eren even tighter. 

“Yeah, probably. I bet it’s nowhere near as good as what you got me.” Eren replied. As the two of them broke away from each other, Eren was surprised to see Levi was now the one looking incredibly nervous. 

“Oh, about that...I actually got you two things.” Levi said as he stood up and made his way over to the tree. 

Two things? Eren was sure he had only seen Levi hiding one parcel at the top of their wardrobe, and there was only one other present under the tree. Was the other gift so big it couldn’t even fit under there? The first present was big enough, Levi having to hold it in both hands as he carefully placed it in front of Eren. 

Eren eagerly ripped away the gold wrapping paper, revealing a large white canvas with a sleek black frame around it. On the canvas was a large cassette tape drawn in black ink, a list of songs and artists printed underneath. Eren instantly recognised every single one, each one holding a special meaning. 

There was the very first song Levi had played to Eren as they sat in the library together, the song that had played in the restaurant on their first official date, the song Eren had played for Levi when they met up again for the first time in years. It was like looking at the playlist of their life. 

“Oh wow, Levi... This is so romantic.” Eren gasped in disbelief. If this was a contest of who could be the most romantic, he was sure Levi had already won. And that was without whatever the second present was supposed to be. 

“It gets better. Wait here.” Levi told him, giving the brunette a quick kiss to the cheek before he left the room. 

Eren could barely contain his excitement as he waited for him to come back. He wasn’t really sure what to expect, but he had a feeling he was about to see Levi dragging a present bigger than himself into the room at any moment. The very thought of Levi awkwardly struggling to fit a large present through the door had Eren laughing before it even happened. 

He was surprised when Levi came back not with a ridiculously huge present, but with one so small it could fit into the palm of his hand. It was weird seeing Levi look so hesitant about anything, he was normally so confident and sure of himself in every decision he made. And yet Eren was sure this was the most anxious he had ever seen him. 

“Are you...Okay?” Eren asked uneasily. 

Levi didn’t answer, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as if to steady himself. He then kneeled down in front of the brunette, holding out a tiny velvet box. “Eren...I knew on that day underneath the mistletoe I was in love with you, and I’ve never stopped loving you. I want to spend every day of my life with you.” He let out another shaky breath, lifting the lid of the velvet box. Inside was a silver ring, decorated with diamonds and emeralds, the exact same green as Eren’s eyes. “Will you marry me?” 

Eren stared back at his boyfriend open mouthed, too stunned to say anything. His heart was racing so fast he was sure it was about to burst out of his chest. The tears came before any words could, Eren quickly wiping them away with the back of his hand. “Y-yes...God, yes...Levi, of course I’ll marry you! I love you!” 

Before Levi had a chance to say anything else Eren was practically throwing himself at his boyfriend, the two of them tumbling to the floor in a heap. He littered Levi’s cheeks with multiple kisses before finally finding the older man’s lips. By the time they broke apart Eren felt giddy and breathless, and the flushed look on Levi’s face told him he felt the same. 

“I love you too.” Levi managed to breathe out, even with the brunette still laying on top of him. The two of them stayed on the floor together for the next hour, carelessly tossing items of clothing to the side and covering each other’s bodies in kisses. 

Christmas always was the most important day of the year for Eren, but this year would be the most important one of all. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was incredibly difficult for me to get finished for quite a few reasons. I've been battling against family emergencies, mental health problems and physical health problems. And with everything that's been happening this year, it made ten times harder. But as soon as I thought of this, I really wanted to get it done. 
> 
> This is also a birthday present for an incredibly special friend who has helped me get through these difficult times. There have been times where I've felt like just giving up on writing and fandom, and felt like I don't belong in it any more, but they kept me going. So thank you so much for everything! I really hope you love this! 
> 
> A few things to know about this:  
> 1) Eren is 14 and Levi is 16 when they're in school  
> 2) I made it only a two year age difference so I could have them be in school at the same time  
> 3) I left what country this is set in ambiguous, so it's set wherever you want it to be. (although I imagined the UK when writing this because that's what I'm used to ) 
> 
> I really hope you all enjoyed this work even though it was a bit rushed. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!


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